Device for use in folding a sheet of packaging material

ABSTRACT

A device for use in folding a sheet of packaging material is disclosed. The device comprises first support means rotatably mounted on a frame to be rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation; at least one further support means, the or each said further support means being slidably mounted on the first support means and being rotatable therewith; at least one pair of elongate folder members, the folder members of the or each pair being interconnected by a respective further support means and being supported thereby to project radially in mutually opposite directions with respect of the axis of rotation; stationary cam means connected to the frame to define a camming surface encompassing the axis; cam follower means contacting the camming surface and connected to a respective one of the further support means to impart reciprocatory motion thereto on each rotation of the first support means about the axis, whereby each folder member is displaced between a radially outer operative position and a radially inner inoperative position.

United States Patent 1191 Schmermund [451 May 27, 1975 DEVICE FOR USE INFOLDING A SHEET OF PACKAGING MATERIAL [22] Filed: Nov. 1, 1973 [21]Appl. N0.: 411,875

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1,187,055 6/1916 Ferguson 53/2251,545,513 7/1925 Peters 53/234 X 1,885,910 11/1932 Gwinn 53/234 X2,424,406 7/1947 Marshall 53/234 X 2,608,039 8/1952 Abramowski. 53/2343,253,385 5/1966 Beerman 53/234 X 3,813,849 6/1974 Stambera 53/234Primary Examiner-Travis S. MlcGehee Assistant Examiner-John Sipos IAttorney, Agent, or FirmSughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and Macpeak [57]ABSTRACT A device for use in folding a sheet of packaging material isdisclosed. The device comprises first support means rotatably mounted ona frame to be rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation; at leastone further support means, the or each said further support means beingslidably mounted on the first support means and being rotatabletherewith; at least one pair of elongate folder members, the: foldermembers of the or each pair being interconnected by a respective furthersupport means and being supported thereby to project radially inmutually opposite directions with respect of the axis of rotation;stationary cam means connected to the frame to define a camming surfaceencompassing the axis; cam follower means contacting the camming surfaceand connected to a respective one of the further support means to impartreciprocatory motion thereto on each rotation of the first support meansabout the axis, whereby each folder membet is displaced between aradially outer operative position and a radially inner inoperativeposition.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures- DEVICE FOR USE IN FOLDING A SHEET OFPACKAGING MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates toa device for use in folding a sheet of packaging material.

In copending United Kingdom Patent Application No. 48186/72 there isdisclosed a packaging machine for wrapping block-like articles such ascigarette blocks in two wrappers, for example of paper or viscose orcellulose film. This packaging machine includes folder members connectedto revolvers each containing four cells to receive cigarette blocks, andthe present inven tion is concernd with the construction and operationof an arrangement of folding members which may be used with thatpackaging machine. Of course, the present folding arrangement may alsobe employed with machines other than that disclosed in copending UnitedKingdom Patent Application No. 48186/72.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there isprovided a device for use in folding a sheet ofpackaging materialcomprising first support means rotatably mounted on a frame to berotatable about a predetermined axis of ro tation, at least one furthersupport means, the or each further support means being slidably mountedon the first support means and being rotatable therewith, at least onepair of elongate folder members, the folder members of the or each pairbeing interconnected by respective further support means and beingsupported thereby to project radially in mutually opposite directionswith respect to the axis of rotation, stationary cam means connected tothe frame to define a camming surface encompassing the axis, camfollower means contacting the camming surface and connected to arespective further support means to impart reciprocatory motion theretoon each rotation of the first support means about the axis. thearrangement being such that each folder member is displaced between aradially outer operative position and a radially inner inoperativeposition.

Preferably, the cam means defines a second camming surface encompassingthe axis and located in spaced relationship with the first mentionedcamming surface to define a displacement path for the or each camfollower means between the first and the second camming surfaces.Advantageously, the or each cam follower means comprises a roller.

It is in particular envisaged that the device may be used with arevolver of a packaging machine such as that disclosed in the abovementioned co-pending patent application, in which case at any given timewhen the revolver is stationary each folder member of each pair ofmutually opposite folder members is in the opposite condition from theother folder member of the same pair. i.e., directly opposite a foldermember in its operative position ready for folding there is a foldermember in its inoperative position in which the folder member isretracted out of contact with a web of packaging material when situatedin the adjacent cell of the revolver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the presentinvention. with indications of small modifications, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. I shows a front view, partly in section, of a revolver of apackaging machine, provided with a folding device;

FIG. 2 shows in greater detail the particular arrangement of slidingrods employed;

FIG. 3 shows the revolver in side view, also showing some of thecomponents provided for mounting the revolver for its rotation; and

FIG. 4 shows a similar view to FIG. 3, of a slightly modifiedarrangement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing, referencenumerals 55, 56 denote a shaft on which a revolver of a cigarettepackaging machine is mounted so that the revolver can be rotatedstepwise 90 at a time, anti-clockwise in FIG. 1, so that the four cellsof the revolver occupy in turn the positions 0, b, c and d successively.An elongate folder member is provided for each of the four cells, at oneaxial end of each cell. The folder members of each individual pair ofdiametrically opposite cells are connected as a pair to respective camfollower means described below. In the condition shown in FIG. 1, thefolder members 70 at the cells a and b are each in their operativepositions, which in the described arrangement are positions in whichthey project radially outwardly of the revolver to a sufficient extentto fold over the axial end of the central web portion of a U-shapedpiece of packaging material 63/64 inserted into each cell when the cellis in position a, and the folder members 70 at the cells c and d areeach in their inoperative positions, which in the described arrangementare positions in which they are retracted so as not to be able tocontact the web of packaging material.

Each folder member 70 is carried by a holder 20], 203 rigidly carried bytwo mutually spaced parallel elongate rod members 202 arranged to slidethrough first support means in the form of a cross-shaped guide member204. For example, the vertically extending rods 202 in FIG. I have oneholder 203 rigidly attached to their upper ends and another holder 201,similar 'to the holdr 203, attached to their lower ends. The verticallyextending rods 202 and the holders 201 and 203 constitute furthersupport means. The arrangement of the horizontally extending rods issimilar. This is evident from FIG. 2, which shows the rods in greaterdetail. The vertically extending rods 202 have their longitudinal axesprecisely perpendicular to those of the horizontally extending rods. Itis clear from the above that a total of four holders are provided forthe one revolver shown in FIG. 1, each holder carrying an individualfolder member 70. The holder shown at cells a and b in FIG. I each carrya cam follower in the form ofa rotatable roller 205 arranged to runbetween mutually complementary cam surfaces located in spacedrelationship and provided respectively on a central eccentric member andon an annular member surrounding the central eccentric member, as shownin FIGS. I and 2. The two rotatable rollers 205 are mutually angularlyspaced apart to define an angle of therebctween. as shown in FIG. I. Asthe revolver rotates anticlockwise in FIG. I the rollers 205 follow theeccentric path defined between the cam surfaces. In the arrangementshown, the cam surfaces are each endless, to enable stepwise rotation ofthe revolver in the same sense to take place without interruption orreversal. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first portion of the cam followerdisplacement path describes an arc of constant radius of first value, asecond portion of the path describes an arcuate path of radiusprogressively decreasing from the first value to a second value, a thirdportion of the path describes an arc of constant radius of the secondvalue, and a fourth portion of the path describes an arcuate path of aradius progressively increasing from the second value to the firstvalue. The cells of the revolver are shown at 21/22. A frame in the formof a bearing body 58/59 is provided to mount the cam means in the formof the eccentric and annular members to be maintained stationary duringrotation of the revolver.

Regardless of which particular cell of the revolver is in the uppermostposition, the arrangement of folder members 70 always has the generalappearance shown in FIG. 1, i.e., the upper most and left-hand cellshave their folder members projecting, while the bottom and right-handcells have their folder members retracted.

In cell a shown in FIG. 1 there is indicated a U- shaped web ofpackaging material 63/64, the folder member 70 being effective to foldover the above mentioned central web portion of the wrapping material asthe web is inserted into the cell by a plunger (not shown). Thecross-shaped guide element 204 is securely fixed to the revolver shaft55/56. The cells 21/22 are rigidly fixed to mountings 24/25, which arein turn fixed to the shaft 55/56 by means of a carrier plate 213.Reference numeral 208 (FIG. 3) indicates a holding plate for the parts204, 213 of the revolver secured to the shaft 55/56.

Referring to FIG. 3, two complementary cam surfaces are providedrespectively on an outer cam part formed by the annular member shown at206 and an inner cam part formed by the central eccentric member shownat 207, which are each secured to the bearing body 58/59. The camsurfaces define between them a cam path, to the left of which in FIG. 3a groove of enlarged width 214 is situated FIG. 3 also schematicallyshows a rolling bearing 211 and a sealing ring 212, which is employed toprovide the necessary sealing for a supply of suction to the cells ofthe revolver, which are each of double-walled construction. The sealingring 212 surrounds a central portion of the shaft (not shown in FIG. 3)and provides a control for the suction.

In FIG. 4, the reference letters a, b, c and (I do not refer to theorientation of the cells relatively to the remainder of the packagingmachine. as is the case in FIG. 1, but they refer in FIG. 4 to themanner of securing of the folder members 70 to the sliding rods 202. Theholder 203 for the folder member 70b in FIG. 4 consists of the parts 209and 210 shown in FIG. 3. 209 represents the holder for the folder member70!; itself in FIG. 3, while 210 represents a separate mounting portionof the roller 205 shown at the centre of FIG. 3. With the holder 203comprising the two parts 209 and 210, the folder member 7012 of FIG. 3can be unscrewed and thus removed. Furthermore. the two parts 209 and210 can themselves be unscrewed from one another. The same manner ofsecuring of the folder member 70 to the rods 22 is employed at theopposite end of each pair of rods 202, but of course in this case noroller is provided.

In operation, a web 63/64 of packaging material is pressed into the cella by the displacement of a plunger (not shown), during which theplunger, as it descends into the cell a. is arranged to pass by theprojecting folder members 70, during which the member as a result ofbeing in its projecting position, folds over the central portion of theU-shaped web. The web is shown in FIG. 1 after this fold has been made.The web is retained in the cell by suction applied through a perforatedinner one of two walls constituting the cell. and the revolver executesa anti-clockwise rotation in the sense of FIG. 1. While the cell is inposition b of FIG. 1 a cigarette block is inserted in a directionparallel to the axis of the axle 55/56, during which the folder member70 acts as an end stop to prevent the cigarette block from over-shootingits desired position. Thus, the cigarette block is accurately located inthe cell. The remaining folds are carried out for example during passageof the cell from position b to position c and in position 0 itself, andthis arrangement is more fully described in co-pending United KingdomPatent Application No. 48186/72. It is necessary that by the time whenthe cell reaches position c the folder member 70 should be fullyretracted into its retracted position. so as not to interfere with anyfolding operations taking place at position 0. This retraction isachieved by the roller 205 rotatably mounted on the holder 203 followingthe path determined for it by the two cam surfaces between which theroller 205 runs.

As the cell passes from position b to position c. the roller 205 isforced to travel along a path having a component directed radiallyinwardly towards the centre of the axle 55/56, so that the roller 205forces the rods 202 to execute a displacement through the guide element204. Thus after a l8() rotation from position a to position c, the cellis inverted and also has its folder member 70 brought from itsprojecting position to its retracted position. However. the retractingof the folder member 70 only occurs during the 90 stretch of therotation from position b to position t. since at all points along thepath of the roller between position a and position b the roller isconstrained to remain at the same radial distance from the centre of theshaft 55/56 This is also true of the 90 stretch of the path fromposition c to position d. When the cell reaches position d. the wrappedcigarette block is ejected in a direction parallel to the axis ofrotation of the revolver, so that the cell arrives emtpy, after afurther 90 anti-clockwise rotation, at position a again. During thetravel of the cell from position d to position a. the roller isconstrained to move further away from the axis of the shaft 55/56, sothat the rods 202 are forced to move linearly in the opposite senserelative to the revolver from their movement in passing from position bto position 0. Having reached position a. the cell is again ready toreceive a web of wrapping material 63/64, and the folder member 70 is inits projecting position.

One advantage given by the described arrangement is that only one camarrangement. which in the described case consists of the members 206 and207, is necessary to control the movement of the four folder members 70of the respective cells of the revolver. Two factors are particularlyimportant in giving this result; namely. the provision of one roller 205only on each of the two sets of rods. each set controlling two foldermembers. and the construction of the cam parts defined by the members206 and 207 in four parts.

namely a 90 upper and lower part (shown at top left and bottom right inFIG. 1) of constant radial distance from the axis of rotation of therevolver, acting as dwell portions between a rising cam surface portionand a falling cam surface portion (shown at top right and bottom left inFIG. 1 respectively).

I claim: 1. A device for use in folding a sheet of packaging materialcomprising, in combination:

a frame, first support means rotatably mounted on said frame to berotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation; two further supportmeans extending substantially perpendicularly of one another, each saidfurther support means being slidably mounted on said first support meansand being rotatable therewith; two pairs of elongate folder members,said folder members of each said pair being interconnected by arespective one of said further support means and being supported therebyto project radially in mutually opposite directions with respect to saidaxis of rotation; stationary cam means connected to said frame to definea first camming surface encompassing said axis and a second cammingsurface encompassing said axis and located in spaced relationship withsaid first camming surface; two roller followers, said roller followersbeing angularly spaced apart to define an angle of 90 therebetween atsaid axis of rotation, each roller follower contacting said first andsecond camming surfaces to follow a displacement path definedtherebetween and being rotatably mounted on a respective one of saidfurther support means to impart reciprocatory motion thereto on eachrotation of said first support means about said axis, a first portion ofsaid roller follower displacement path describing an arc of constantradius of a first value, a second portion of said path describing anarcuate path of a radius progressively decreasing from said first valueto a second value, a third portion of said path describing an arc ofconstant radius of said second value, and a fourth portion of said pathdescribing an arcuate path of a radius progressively increasing fromsaid second value to said first value, whereby each said folder memberis displaced between a radially outer operative position and a radiallyinner inoperative position on each rotation of said first support meansabout said axis.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein each said further supportmeans comprises two mutually spaced parallel elongate rod members andtwo holder members, each holder member interconnecting mutually nextadjacent end portions of said parallel rod members and supporting arespective one of said folder mem bers.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein each said first support meansis provided with at least one pair of guide means, each said pair ofguide means slidably supporting said two parallel rod members of arespective one of said further support means.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein each said folder member isdetachably connected to a respective one of said holder members, wherebyany one said folder member may readily be exchanged for another saidfolder member.

1. A device for use in folding a sheet of packaging material comprising,in combination: a frame, first support means rotatably mounted on saidframe to be rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation; twofurther support means extending substantially perpendicularly of oneanother, each said further support means being slidably mounted on saidfirst support means and being rotatable therewith; two pairs of elongatefolder members, said folder members of each said pair beinginterconnected by a respective one of said further support means andbeing supported thereby to project radially in mutually oppositedirections with respect to said axis of rotation; stationary cam meansconnected to said frame to define a first camming surface encompassingsaid axis and a second camming surface encompassing said axis andlocated in spaced relationship with said first camming surface; tworoller followers, said roller followers being angularly spaced apart todefine an angle of 90* therebetween at said axis of rotation, eachroller follower contacting said first and second camming surfaces tofollow a displacement path defined therebetween and being rotatablymounted on a respective one of said further support means to impartreciprocatory motion thereto on each rotation of said first supportmeans about said axis, a first portion of said roller followerdisplacement path describing an arc of constant radius of a first value,a second portion of said path describing an arcuate path of a radiusprogressively decreasing from said first value to a second value, athird portion of said path describing an arc of constant radius of saidsecond value, and a fourth portion of said path describing an arcuatepath of a radius progressively increasing from said second value to saidfirst value, whereby each said folder member is displaced between aradially outer operative position and a radially inner inoperativeposition on each rotation of said first support means about said axis.2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein each said further supportmeans comprises two mutually spaced parallel elongate rod members andtwo holder members, each holder member interconnecting mutually nextadjacent end portions of said parallel rod members and supporting arespective one of said folder members.
 3. A device as defined in claim2, wherein each said first support means is provided with at least onepair of guide means, each said pair of guide means slidably supportingsaid two parallel rod members of a respective one of said furthersupport means.
 4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein each saidfolder member is detachably connected to a respective one of said holdermembers, whereby any one said folder member may readily be exchanged foranother said folder member.